~Violent~ College sophomore Evan Grant doesn’t realize what he’s getting into when he asks the beautiful redhead, Karina Walsh out on a simple date. The date ends well but the night does not. A frightening encounter with an otherworldly creature leaves him nowhere to go but to Karina and her family for help. But will they help him… or destroy him for knowing too much of a world he never should have seen? ~The Blood Pool~ When vicious killings of humans begin to show up in a small town, Alec Kilton – Chief Enforcer of the Nave, the ruling authority of vampires, is sent to investigate it and stop it. During the course of his investigation, he comes across a deadly game enacted by four young – and untrained – vampires. They call their game, the Blood Pool. In this game, they select a female human’s name from a hat, and then each of the four have an opportunity to woo her. Whoever wins, gets to enjoy her before the other three come and destroy her. While out on his mission, Alec meets a stunning redhead, Molly O’Connell, who he finds irresistible on so many levels. During the course of their game, Molly’s name is deposited into the hat and selected to become their next target in the Blood Pool. Will Alec be able to understand their game in time to save his lovely redhead? Or will those who invented the game destroy her first? Some stories contain adult language and adult situations. Appropriate for readers 17 and older.

    Sprague de Camp77 • The Flight of the Horse • [Svetz] • (1969) • shortstory by Larry Niven (aka Get a Horse!)96 • On the Downhill Side • (1972) • shortstory by Harlan Ellison116 • The Night of the Unicorn • (1975) • shortstory by Thomas Burnett Swann124 • Mythological Beast • (1979) • shortstory by Stephen R. Donaldson149 • The Final Quarry • (1970) • novelette by Eric Norden176 • Elfleda • (1981) • shortstory by Vonda N. McIntyre193 • The White Donkey • (1980) • shortstory by Ursula K. Le Guin198 • Unicorn Variation • (1981) • novelette by Roger Zelazny231 • The Sacrifice • (1982) • shortstory by Gardner Dozois236 • The Unicorn • (1952) • shortstory by Frank Owen247 • The Woman the Unicorn Loved • [Anderson] • (1981) • novelette by Gene Wolfe271 • The Forsaken • (1982) • shortstory by Beverly Evans286 • The Unicorn • (1939) • shortfiction by T. H. White307 • Selected Bibliography (Unicorns!) • (1982) • essay by uncredited

    The roster of contributors over the years includes Mercedes Lackey, Charles de Lint, Diana L. Paxson, Emma Bull, Jennifer Roberson, and countless others. Sword and Sorceress 26 includes stories by Kat Otis, Deborah J. Ross, Jean Tatro, Jonathan Shipley, Melissa Mead, Michael Spence and Elisabeth Waters, Margaret L. Carter, Dave Smeds, Patricia Duffy Novak, Michael H. Payne, Pauline J. Alama, Steve Chapman, J.C. Hsyu, Jonathan Moeller, K.D. Wentworth, David L. Burkhead, Julia H. West, Joette M. Rozanski, and Katharina Schuschke.

    endings. The heroes and antiheroes of these tales find themselves, sometimes unexpectedly, arriving at major turning points in their lives – turning points that are quite often catastrophic, surreal, tragic. These stories are alternately triumphant and terribly sad, but they are always human.This collection includes the following previously published stories:Wolf SkinThe CaretakerThe Winter LandsNebulaeOnyxThe Last Rail-RiderThe Dark AgeDeep Breath Hold Tight will be published in the spring.

    With his best lead dog dropped from the race and unknown obstacles still ahead, he must take a leap of faith: relying on a young dog he has never learned to trust and whose leadership skills have never been tested. Until now.Stories in the Angel Paws series celebrate the unique bond between canines and humans with heartfelt, moving, and insightful tales for anyone who has ever loved a dog.

    The grief of losing one of their own, coupled with their frustration at the careless behavior of newborn immortals forces Julia Agrippina to employ Samantha Moon to find out who took Alexei, find him and bring him home safely.  Sam finds that its an offer she can’t refuse. It seems The Watchers have been very active in the background of Los Angeles, ensuring that the locals don't find out too much about the various creatures of the night that live and hunt among them... but the time to pay for their services has arrived.  Sam teams up with prolific vampire hunter Veronica, a close friend of Alexei’s, to locate the boy and with a little help from his sister, the two investigators are soon hot on the trail. But, of course, neither is used to things sailing smoothly for very long. A warning from an unlikely source, reveals a deeper, sinister reason behind Alexei’s abduction and deep in the Central American jungle, Sam uncovers a mad man’s plan to destroy an entire nation.  In a display of their all-encompassing power, The Watchers move swiftly into action and while Sam and Veronica bring their lost friend home, Julia leads the others onto the battlefield for one more stand against evil and corruption.

    Her eagerness to help a mysterious bunny gets her transported to a strange world full of goblin inventors, dog armies, cosmic giants, and even stranger things! Armed with the ancestral weapon of rabbitkind (an old shovel) she must help her animal friends, and get home in time for supper. Along the way she will experience the bravery of folk heroes, the power of ancient gods and the danger of lurking monsters; all while making sure her animal friends are safe. A word book for young readers, The Tale of Tallest Rabbit is a family friendly collection of stories tied together by an overarching narrative of bravery and friendship.

    First, he did not get his expected catnip toy. Second, there was the 'tree incident'. What could be next? When a truck is stolen from right out front of the town party, Turkey knows he has to turn the day around. He takes the case. Can he solve it without Penny's help? This is a short Christmas cozy mystery.

    All by women.When you were little, you had a nanny. A nanny only you could see.There are clumps of dark hair in the swimming pool. Curling around your toes, slowly tugging you down."The Love Simulator" shows your perfect life with 'The One'... which turns out to be your worst nightmare.DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS brings you 46 tales of terror from the depths of the female mind. Pull up a chair and listen to the horrors of murderous femme fatales, fiercely protective mothers, and daughters who realize their childhood isn't quite what it seemed.Hundreds of backers on Kickstarter brought this anthology to life, through a successful campaign that raised several thousand dollars. Our authors have won awards, written bestsellers, and gained international popularity on the 13 million subscriber forum NoSleep.Daughters of Darkness is guaranteed give you nightmares you'll never forget. Read... if you dare!

    Here are stories culled from hundreds of writing programs such as the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and Johns Hopkins and from summer conferences such as Sewanee and Bread Loaf—as well as a complete list of contact information for these programs. This collection showcases tomorrow’s literary stars: Julie Orringer, Adam Johnson, William Gay, David Benioff, Rattawut Lapcharoensap, Maile Meloy, Amanda Davis, Jennifer Vanderbes, and John Murray are just some of the acclaimed authors whose early work has appeared in this series since its launch in 2000. The best new American voices are heard here first.

    See far-flung worlds, they said. Meet interesting creatures, and kill them all. Soldiers fighting aliens in unforgiving landscapes, where every breath could be their last. Featuring stories by Weston Ochse, Mike Resnick, and others. From near-future to far-future, featuring some of the best writers working in the field today.

    Impress your friends and family with next-level Harry Potter knowledge and history.

    Join the O'Reilly family once again as they meet around the Jack O'Lantern on Halloween night and share ghost stories that will make you shiver and have you looking over your shoulder to see if there is "a little something extra" wandering through your home tonight.

    Desperate for an heir who will be able to protect the throne, Lucy looks to be the perfect candidate to provide the King's offspring. The Chosen One, lost in a realm of lust, evil, and a power-hungry King - she needs to escape. Torn between a loyalty to all he has ever known and a growing desire for Lucy; can Amos find a way through this? Will the consequence for them be too much to risk, and what would it mean for the entire Dragon Realm? The Dragon's Touch - Book 2 It is the time that dragon females come of age to mate. Zara irrationally fears that King Dalyer will find her and recapture her as his bride; she was his favorite –though untouched- wife. Solar dreads it because he grapples with a forbidden attraction to Zara and he is certain that the men around their camp will try to claim her once she is of eligible age. Torn between the Oracle's prophecy and his burning desire, can Solar stay loyal to the cause? To what end will he use Zara to achieve the revolution's ultimate aim? Dragon's Desire - Book 3 Following the clues from a dream to the human realm, the Oracle is searching for the lost man that he’s had visions about. The man whom he thinks is the only one who can destroy King Daylor. But his encounter with the beautiful single mom, Melanie, unnerves him. He is unsettled by the intensity of the protective instinct that is rising up in him. It’s unlike him to be serious about anything. But this is so different. Where will this burning desire lead and what does it mean for the Oracles quest? Dragon's Passion - Book 4 In the exciting conclusion to the dragon shifter series, Idris and other series favorites must rise to the occasion to battle the evil King Dalyer once and for all. For freedom. For the dragon realm. For love. For their true mate. This series contains strong sexual themes/language and is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

    For brides and grooms who want to give their weddings new depth and meaning, two acclaimed poet-translators have gathered a stunning collection of poems and prose that will add a unique and personal dimension to the ceremony.